Points of Interest: Places to Visit in Birmingham (UK)

Birmingham sits in the heart of England in an area known as the Midlands.

It has a rich history and was a major canal hub during the industrial revolution. Birmingham actually has more miles of canal than Venice!

There are many attractions to see in Birmingham. It is home to Cadbury world, the Bull Ring and Mailbox shopping centres, the Think Tank museum, Aston Villa and Birmingham City football clubs and the Sea Life centre to name but a few. Birmingham is the second largest in the UK. Unlike London, the city has no castles or palaces because of its industrial roots.

I live a few minutes away from the centre of Birmingham. I only knew Birmingham before as a lyric to a famous song, I would have never thought that this would become my second home.

Birmingham is also the birthplace of heavy metal music, pioneered and created by the local Birmingham band – Black Sabbath. They performed their last performance here in Birmingham where it all began after more than 40 years in the music industry. The legendary Ozzy Osbourne (the face of the Black Sabbath) doesn’t need any more introduction!

I guess it would be ideal to suggest some places to visit in Birmingham thru this blog post.

Here is my list of the things to do in Birmingham, UK.

Cadbury World

Birmingham is the home of the world renowned and most loved chocolate – Cadbury chocolate. A day out in Cadbury World is one of the most popular things to do with kids in Birmingham. The chocolate factory also has a museum that displays the history and heritage of cocoa farming and chocolate making from its humble beginnings of Cadbury up to what it is now today. Of course, there is no better place to buy your Cadbury chocolate than here at a discounted price.

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

Birmingham German Market (Seasonal)

One of the most visited Christmas markets outside of Germany. The start of the Birmingham German Market kick starts the festive season here in the Midlands.

The Birmingham city centre high street will light up and be filled with log cabins full of delicious deli and drinks from Germany.

If you are looking for various free things to do in Birmingham during the festive season, I highly recommend you to visit the German Market. Have a lovely mulled wine and eat bratwurst, pretzels, strudel and much more!

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

JRR Tolkien Trail

John Ronal Reuel Tolkien (JRR Tolkien) grew up in Birmingham. The inspirations of his masterpiece “The Lord of the Rings” can all be found in Birmingham and its surrounding area. The Tolkien trail is one of Birmingham’s point of interest.

Once you follow the trail, you’ll get to see the inspiration of the iconic hobbit circular door at the Sarehole mill where JRR Tolkien spent most of his childhood playing around this area.

The two towers inspiration is also from two famous landmarks in Birmingham, the Perrott’s Folley and the Edgbaston Waterworks Tower. In the Lord of the Rings book, you’ll probably know this as the Minas Morgul and the Minas Tirith, the Two towers of Gondor.

So welcome to Middle Earth and don’t worry there are no orcs around this area!

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

The Bullring

The Bullring has been the centre of the retail and commercial industries in Birmingham. You can pretty much find all the high street and luxury brands you could ever want in this area. You can’t miss the beautiful St. Martin’s church in the middle of the shopping complex.

The commercial history of the Bullring began in the middle ages where people came to trade their cattle and corn. The area was known as the Corn Market in commemoration of the corn trading that began in this area. The name “Bullring” came from the green within the Corn Cheaping which was used for bull baiting and the ring was an iron hoop in Corn Cheaping that was used to tie the bulls before slaughter.

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

Birmingham Canals

The Birmingham Canal is 100 miles of intricate networks of canals within the city. Birmingham has more canals than Venice! The Canal network was the bloodline of the city in the Victorian times where the narrow boats were used to transport coal and other goods going in all directions within the UK.

Nowadays, the Birmingham Canal network is popular with boat enthusiasts and holiday makers.

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

Jewellery Quarter

The clue is in the name; Jewellery Quarter has been the heart of the jewellery production for hundreds of years since the 18th century. Almost half of the British jewellery here in England comes from the highly skilled jewellers of Jewellery Quarter. Truly this area of the city is the pride and gem of Britain.

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

Aston Villa (Villa Park)

If you’re into sports, don’t miss a chance to visit Villa Park. The home of the famous Aston Villa Football Club since 1897. Villa Park has hosted prestigious football games throughout its history. One of the clubs most famous fans is Prince William!

Looking for fantastic and affordable hotels in Birmingham?

There you have it! I hope you’ll include Birmingham on your list of places to visit in England. There are definitely more things to do and see than just London. So go on and explore The Heart of England, here in the Midlands.

Have you been to Birmingham? Share us your experience in the comment box below.

Please join my mailing list to receive the latest news and updates. Promise! NO SPAM emails. I hate them too!

Thank you for subscribing! Let's keep in touch. :-)

Share:

Rate:

Disclaimer:

This blog post contains affiliate links with no extra costs to you. However, the few pence that I will get will help me to run this website. Words and opinions on this article are my own. Please visit my disclosure page for more info.

Amazon Associates Program Disclosure:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

About The Author

She is named after a Russian city near Moscow. The Miss Zan-shine of Everything Zany. She likes to travel, history, meet people & try exotic foods! Planning to explore more countries with her D.I.Y trips as a Dual Citizen (British – Filipina). Explore, discover and learn.

We have been to Birmingham twice on very short trips during which time we visited the Jewellery Quarter, the Sea Life aquarium and Bullring. A visit to Cadbury World is pending. Hopefully on our next trip!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

COMMENT

Name *

Email *

Website

ABOUT ME

Hi! I'm Ryazan! The Miss ZAN-shine behind this blog. I'm a dual citizen (British - Filipina) living in the UK. I share stories and helpful tips about the best of both worlds.

DONATE NOW!

Cool Stuff!

Looking For Something?

Amazon Associates Program Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.